Wales revealed as the knitting capital of the UK

Wales is the knitting capital of the UK, new research from First Bus into the nation's hobbies has revealed.

It comes as famous social media trainspotter Francis Bourgeois has hit the road for the bus operator's 30th birthday, revealing one of his other public transport passions – bus spotting. 

The new data shows that nearly one in five residents in Wales (18%) revealed knitting as their hobby, the highest percentage of any other major UK city or region. And 31% of residents think growing your own fruit and veg has now become a 'cool' hobby.

However, 24% of Welsh residents admit to having a hobby they want to keep secret, with over a quarter (26%) saying they are worried other people would find it unattractive.

And when it comes to bus spotting, Wales has the lowest percentage of people (12%) of any major UK city or region who would be put off a romantic interest if someone admitted to doing it, and the same percentage (12%) say they have never bus spotted, but would consider it in the future.

But the figures have not put off famed railway enthusiast Francis Bourgeois who has been entertaining his millions of followers with a different hobby. The social media star has added ‘bus enthusiast’ to his list of interests after teaming up with First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators.

To mark the company's 30th anniversary, Francis took a trip to the company’s birthplace in Aberdeen, where he learned to drive an electric bus and heard about the huge role buses play in society and connecting communities.

New data from First Bus reveals Francis is not alone, with an astonishing 3.3 million Brits revealing they also enjoy bus spotting.

Speaking about his new bus enthusiast status, Francis Bourgeois said: “I know I’m known for the railway, but my enthusiasm for public transport extends to other forms too, like buses. I was thrilled when First Bus invited me to celebrate its 30^th birthday at the Aberdeen depot. Seeing how much buses have evolved in the last three decades is incredible, not only the transition to electric vehicles but also learning about the impact buses have on society. Perhaps in another career, I could have been a bus driver…maybe I will become a bus driver!”

More than half of Brits (57%) admit that social media creators like Francis Bourgeois have helped shift the perceptions of certain hobbies. His viral impact on trainspotting, and now with bus spotting, has undoubtedly made this pastime more widely mainstream.

A third (33%) of Brits also say that celebrities have a lot of sway when it comes to making hobbies mainstream. Olympic swimming champion Tom Daley’s crafty hands have put a spotlight on knitting and crocheting for 29% of the UK, while football legend David Beckham’s buzz about beekeeping has made almost one-fifth (19%) of Brits change their tune about the hobby.

Top 10 celebs who have made ‘uncool’ hobbies, cool:

1. Tom Daley (Knitting & Crocheting) – 29%
2. David Beckham (Beekeeping) – 19%
3. Henry Cavill (Gaming & Warhammer) – 14%
4. Rod Stewart (Model train collecting) – 13%
5. Joe Rogan (Martial Arts) – 12%
6. Justin Bieber (Rubik's cube) – 12%
7. Francis Bourgeois (Trainspotting) – 11%
8. Cole Palmer and Phil Foden (Fishing) – 8%
9. Seth Rogan (Pottery) – 8%
10. Tom Cruise (Fencing) – 7%